Neptune's Storm Ships in to Take Hill Prince

There's no telling where an opportunity can present itself and for the California-based owners of Neptune's Storm, Elmont, N.Y., was the place to be Oct. 5.

While original plans called for the 3-year-old son of Stormy Atlantic  to be kept in California for the $200,000 Twilight Derby (G2T) Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park, trainer Richard Baltas believed Neptune's Storm was so eager to run that he should be shipped cross-country to run in the $401,200 Hill Prince Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park.

"There was really no 3-year-old races for him in California for him until the Twilight Derby and he had been training great. Richard said he was in great condition, so here we are," part-owner John Rochfort said.

That "here" proved to be the winner's circle as Neptune's Storm closed nicely in the final sixteenth to register a three-quarters-of-a-length victory over A Thread of Blue in the 1 1/8-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds Oct. 5.

The victory was the fifth in 12 starts for Neptune's Storm, who is owned by Rochfort, Saul Gervertz, Lynn Gitomer, Mike Goetz, Michael Nentwig and Daniel Weiner. No worse than third in his past nine starts, he was third in his previous try, beaten a neck in the Del Mar Derby (G2T) Sept. 1.

"I was just a passenger today, said winning jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. "He put himself in a position that he wanted. That horse is so classy and he knows how to win. He did everything by himself, to be honest. Turning for home, I knew I had plenty of horse and I knew I just had to wait. This stretch is so long, so I knew I could wait until the right moment. He gave me a nice, strong kick and finish to get home."

Neptune's Storm ($22.40) went off at 10-1 odds and covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.74.

Video: Hill Prince S. (G2T)

Sold as a weanling for $50,000 and yearling for $70,000, he went to Cybertech International or Weiner for $130,000 from the Eddie Woods consignment at the 2018 OBS April Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. He was bred by Tracy Farmer in Kentucky.

The field of nine included five horses who started in the New York Racing Association's Turf Trinity, giving it the feel of a fourth leg of the series.

Leonard C. Green's A Thread of Blue, who won the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes set the slow pace of :25.58, :50.92 and 1:15.20 with Neptune's Storm second, but the son of Hard Spun  could not fend off the winner's bid in  the final sixteenth.

"It was a perfect trip," said jockey Luis Saez, who rode A Thread of Blue. "He got beat, that's all. The distance was all right. It's horse racing. Today, he got beat. Hopefully, next time he'll be better. It was a nice trip. He was relaxed."

Klaravich Stables' Standard Deviation, a son of Curlin  who was seventh in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes,, was a nose back in third, a neck ahead of Bloom Racing's Belmont Derby winner Henley Joy, a son of Kitten's Joy .

As for what's next for Neptune's Storm, Rochfort said they'll probably go back to Plan A.

"If he comes back OK, he'll probably run in the Twilight Derby," he said.

Final Frontier takes the Belmont Turf Sprint

The $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint proved to be perfect for Godolphin's Final Frontier.

The Breeders' Cup?

Maybe not.

After finishing second against a similar field in the 5 ½-furlong Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, the homebred son of Ghostzapper  found the six furlongs of the Belmont Turf much more to his liking.

The 4-year-old colt and jockey Jose Lezcano edged away from Lucky Coin winner Shekky Shebaz in the final furlong to prevail by three-quarters-of-a-length and post his initial added-money victory in the first of five stakes on the Oct. 5 card at Belmont Park.

Video: Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational S. (BT)

"The six-furlong distance gives him a chance to get his feet under him," trainer Tom Albertrani said. 

Yet even though Final Frontier was clocked in a fleet 1:07.39, Albertrani was not giddy about the prospect of moving on to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), which will be contested a shorter, five-furlong distance Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.

"It's a concern," Albertrani said about the five furlongs, "but it is the Breeders' Cup and we might have to take a shot in there."

The victory also proved to be a milestone as it marked the 75th black-type stakes winner for Ghostzapper , who stands at Adena Springs in Kentucky for $85,000.

As for Final Frontier ($8.20), the win was the fourth in 10 tries as he has turned a corner since switching to turf in his fourth start. In seven races on turf, he's posted three wins, two seconds and a third, with the lone unplaced effort coming when he tackled 1 1/16 miles last October.

Since that fifth-place finish in an Oct. 4, 2018 allowance race at Belmont, he has been limited to one-turn races.

"The 5 ½ furlongs is just a little too short because he has the stamina to go longer," Albertrani said. "He won at a mile in the past but since we shortened him, it's made a different horse out of him."

As different as Final Frontier might be as a turf sprinter, there's also a strong family resemblance as he's out of the Seeking the Gold mare Sahara Gold and is a full brother to Better Lucky, who won the 2013 First Lady Stakes (G1T) for Albertrani and Godolphin.

"It's a wonderful family," Albertrani said. (Better Lucky) did it short on the dirt, short on the turf and long on the turf. It's a wonderful family and it's great to see them come around one after another."

Favored Shekky Shebaz, a son of Capo Blanco owned by Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables, set the early fractions of :22.46 and :44.29 while pressed by Final Frontier's 18-1 stablemate Fully Vested. The 8-5 choice in the wagering held on for second, 1 ½ lengths ahead of Fully Vested, a son of Discreet Cat who is  unlikely to run in the Breeders' Cup, according to Albertrani.